WIKE AND THE ILLEGAL REFINERIES
The stakeholders could do more to stop the follies
In the past few weeks, Governor Nyesom Wike has been battling with illegal refineries in Rivers State with claims that some rogue law enforcement and military officers are involved. He also recently told residents of the state about his helplessness. More than anything, Wike’s claims suggest the federal government is not interested in dealing with this menace that has economic, security and environmental implications. Critical stakeholders should be concerned about this lingering problem that poses a serious public health challenge.
Soot, an impure mass of carbon particles resulting from the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons and extremely hazardous to humans, is one of the costs of the spun-out activities of illegal refineries in Niger Delta. Port Harcourt, and its environs have recently come under heavy soot coverage, forcing the governor to go after illegal refineries in his state. As we highlighted recently, there is urgent need for the government to launch awareness programmes on the harmful effect of producing soot from these illegal refining activities, as well as the danger of being exposed to the particles.
Several reports estimate that up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil are stolen every day from the Niger Delta, with vast volumes of this ending up in illegal refining facilities across creeks in the region. As recent as 2019, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) disclosed that 42.25 million barrels of crude oil was stolen from the country, with illegal refineries as one of its beneficiaries. Yet, the federal government has rarely shown that it understands the problem and key drivers of illegal refineries in the region. Meanwhile, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNDP) Environment Assessment report of Ogoniland (which is yet to be implemented) underlined illegal oil refining in the region contributes immensely to the degradation of its environment besides poor pipeline maintenance by oil companies.
Beyond the financial loss to the national economy, illegal refining has equally pushed communities out of their traditional sources of livelihoods. Fishing and farming are no longer viable because of the effects of these sharp practices. The water and land of the region is polluted by this activity so much that they bear or yield no resources to its people. As a result, many rural dwellers in these communities are increasingly forced to join in the activity to sustain their lives and families. This clearly shows the government’s failure to responsibly manage the country’s oil resources to benefit its people.
A potpourri of factors drives and sustains the business of illegal refining in the Niger Delta. Governor Wike highlighted collaboration between perpetrators and officials of the country’s security formations like the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) whom he reportedly caught in the act, and members of the military joint taskforce who allegedly look the other way for perpetrators in exchange for cash. Whatever may the motivation of the principal actors, this cannot be allowed to continue.
In 2018, the Federal Ministry of Environment linked the problem of soot enveloping the city to the operation of illegal oil refineries or kpo-fire (street language for illegal oil bunkering business) and their destruction. “There is a direct correlation between the level, intensity and composition of the soot and illegal oil refinery activities, including their destruction in the Niger Delta,” the ministry concluded. But addressing the problem requires that all stakeholders work together. As the most visible and direct impact of the illegal trade, the UNEP Environmental Assessment report was detailed in its description of the level of devastation this has left on the region. We believe that the best time to move against this horrible trade was yesterday. Nevertheless, the next best time is now!
